Elsie at the World's Fair eBook

“Yes; that review took place last April; and
after it they sailed for the St. Lawrence River, came
round the lakes as we did, and here into this harbor.”

“How many are there, papa?”

“Three: the Santa Maria—­in
which Columbus himself sailed—­the Nina,
and the Pinta. There they are, daughter,”
as at that moment they came in sight of the three
small vessels.

“Why, how little they are!” she exclaimed;
“not nearly so big as the Illinois that
we see all the time from our deck.”

“You are quite right about that,” her
father said, with a smile.

“But what does anybody want with such little
bits of ships?” she asked.

“Only to show people with what little vessels
Columbus accomplished his great work of discovering
America.”

“I’m glad he discovered it,” Elsie
said, with satisfaction; “because, if he hadn’t,
we couldn’t have been here living in it.”

“Unless somebody else had discovered it between
that time and this, Elsie,” laughed her uncle
Walter, overhearing her last remark.

All were interested in looking at the little vessels,
but their curiosity was soon satisfied and they returned
to the Court of Honor for a time, then to the Dolphin.

CHAPTER XVII.

It was Sunday afternoon. Most of the Dolphin’s
passengers were in their own state-rooms enjoying
the Sabbath rest, after the fatigue of the sight-seeing
of the past week, but Captain Raymond sat on the deck
with Neddie on his knee and the three girls grouped
about him. The father and daughters had each
a Bible, for even little Elsie could read fluently
and had been given one of her own, which she valued
highly.

“Papa,” she said, “you know you
bade each of us to have a verse to recite to you to-day.
May I say mine now?”

“Why, yes, to be sure! But I hardly expected
him to have one,” the captain returned, with
a fatherly smile down into the dear little face upturned
to his. “Let me hear it, son?”

“It’s only a very little one, papa:
’The Son of man hath power on earth to forgive
sins.’”

“A very sweet verse. Does my little son
know who said these words?”

“Grandma said they were Jesus’ words.
She taught me the verse.”

“Yes, it was Jesus our Saviour who said it;
and do you know whom he meant by the Son of man?”

“Grandma said it was himself, and that he can
forgive all our sins and take away the love of sinning
and make us truly good, really holy.”

“That is true, a blessed truth; and to him alone,
to Jesus who was God and man both, we must go to get
our sins forgiven, and be taught to love holiness;
that holiness without which no man can see the Lord.”